1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to somatic hybrids of Rutaceae plants and a production method thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The cases of the production of somatic hybrids by cell fusion have heretofore been found in some plant families such as Solanaceae, Umbelliferae, and Cruciferae [Gleba and Hoffmann, Planta, 149, 112-117 (1980))], whereas none of the successful cases has been found in any Rutaceae plant, because the cell fusion treatments with polyethylene glycol or the like causes disorder of plant cells, or the production of somatic hybrids is unsuccessful owing to incompatibility between cells or the like, or the technique of selecting exclusively the hybrid cells has not yet been established. Furthermore, in the case of a Rutaceae plant, it was very difficult to produce a hybrid by conventional breeding, because of the phenomena of polyembryony, sterility, incompatibility, and the like. There is, therefore, a strong demand in the art for the development of a production means capable of efficiently and conclusively producing somatic hybrids of a Rutaceae plant.